Can handler



W P. 1.. VANNUCCI CAN HANDLER Filed March 14, 1.934

Patented Apr. 30, 1935 UNl'l'E STTE ATENT FFECE CAN HANDLER lilade L. Vannucci, San Jose, Calif. Application March 14, 1934, Serial No. 715,448

3 Claims. (Cl. 29487) It is one object of the invention to provide a Disposed longitudinally of the housing and in manually operated means for transferring, in a position to overlie each pair of cams l5l5a, one operation, a number of filled cans from one is a bar l6. Mounted on each bar it and slidplace to another. ably engaging a bearing as ll in the underlying 5 It is another object to provide a device of the housing top is a spreader pin as is having a 5 character indicated that will quickly and posiflaring spreader portion E9 on its lower end.

tively engage a given number of cans for move- At 25 is shown a spreader block that is, in the ment as a unit, and as quickly and positively present instance, fiat on top and cut into four release the same when moved. segments as 2|, 22, 23, 26. A socket as 25 is 10 It is also an object of the invention to provide formed in the center of the top of the block, 10 a device of the character indicated that will be the side wall of the socket being inclined to slideconomical in construction, light in weight, that ably engage the spreader portion E9 of pin l8. consists of few parts, and that is strong, durable, The upper portion of the outer face of segment and highly efficient in its practical application. 21 is curved as at 2 la to engage a Cylindrical can In the drawing: body, and the lower portion may take any de 15 Figure 1 is a full size sectional view of one of sired form. The upper and outer edge is grooved the lifting elements and its mounting. as at 210 to fit under the top edge 26 of a can 2 Figure 2 is a perspective view of the device At 25d is a spring mounted on housing l and with a part broken away. seated in the top of segment 2i, this spring be Figure 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Figure 1. ing formed to urge the segment into intimate 20 In the particular embodiment of the invencontact with pin IS. The four segments of each tion herein disclosed, I show at l a housing havblock, and their mountings, are identical. ing an open bottom and having an outwardly In the present case where twenty cans are to turned flange 2 extending entirely around its be lifted at one time twelve spreader blocks are 25 lower edge. Mounted on flange 2, and dependrequired, one for each interspace between each 25 ing therefrom, are lifting elements as a, each group of four cans, and consequently four pins element extending inwardly of the housing a it are mounted in each bar it. distance approximating one-half the diameter In using the device it is placed over the tops of of the can to be lifted and having its sides curved twenty cans with the handles spread as indicated in conformity with the curvature of the can body by arrows 28. The handles are then swung in 30 as at 5. the direction indicated by arrows 2?: thereby ex- In the present instance the device is designed banding the blocks and gripping the cans whereto lift twenty cans and consequently there are by they may all be lifted as a unit.

fourteen of the elements 4 spaced along the sides It is to be understood, or" course, that while and ends of the flange as shown, in addition to I have herein shown and described but one the four corner elements as 6 which are curved specific embodiment of the invention, changes in to engage a can as at l. form, construction, and method of assembly and Mounted in bearings 8 on the top of the. housoperation may be made within the scope of the ing are transversely disposed shafts as 99a, appended claims.

one adjacent each end. I claim: 40

At It is a handle having end plates I 8-12 1. A can handler comprising, in combination, disposed thereon as an integral part thereof, a body member provided with fixed means to enthese plates being centrally mounted on shaft 9 compass and engage the outer row of a group and secured thereto to rotate therewith. A simof cans and normally retracted expansible means ilar handle Iiia is provided with plates lla-i2a insertable in the space between each group of 45 mounted on shaft 906. One end of plate H is four cans, means for actuating the expansible connected to the opposite end of the plate Ha means into lifting engagement with the cans and by a link 13, and the other ends of the plates are to urge certain cans into lifting engagement with connected by a link lta. The plates I 2 and 52a said fixed means, and means for returning the are similarly connected as indicated at I l-Ma. expansible means to normal position. 50 Mounted on the shafts 99a are outwardly and 2. A can handler comprising, in combination, oppositely directed cams as l5--i5a. By swinga body member provided with fixed means to ening the handles inwardly toward each other the compass and engage the outer row of a group of cams are elevated, and by spreading the handles cans and having lifting means associated there- 55 the cams are lowered. with, and lifting-means actuated expansible and 55 10 between each group of four cans, resilient means for normally retracting said expansible means, a pair of shafts rotatably mounted on the body, shaft actuated means to expand the expansible means, a handle fixedly mounted on each shaft, and a pair of crossed links connecting the corresponding ends of the shafts and handles whereby movement of the handles toward each other will rotate the shafts to efiect expansion of the expansible means.

PILADE L. VANNUCCI. 

